Giants insist they will fight on despite record

EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. >> Even though they are hurting, there is no quit in the New York Giants.

Don’t even bother mentioning whether losing hope is an option for the Giants (4-7) in the wake of their gut-wrenching 24-21 last-second loss to the Dallas Cowboys on Sunday.

Running back Andre Brown glared when asked “Why bother”” if the chances of making the playoffs are slim even with a season-ending five-game winning streak.

“No, man. Don’t get me to say . no,” an annoyed Brown said. “We’re still going to go out here and we’re going to fight. You never know what’s going to happen at the end of the season. Go out there and get hot again and go out there and play games and win. Hopefully some things fall into our laps where we can go out there and play in the playoffs.”

When asked about even a couple of players letting down, Brown was adamant.

“No giving up over here, if that’s what you’re trying to say,” said the running back, who rushed for 127 yards in the loss. “We’re not going to do that. We’re going to go out here and we’re going to continue to fight. “

The way the NFC has gone this season, the players feel anything can happen. If they win out, teams have made the playoffs with a 9-7 record. The Giants did it two seasons ago and won a Super Bowl. The problem is they won the NFC East with that record.

The chance of it happening this year is slim, especially with Dallas holding a two-game lead and the first tiebreaker.

Still, the players didn’t like the thought they would lay down. Neither did coach Tom Coughlin.

The 67-year-old Coughlin knows that the Giants’ chances of making the postseason pretty much were crushed by losing to Dallas a second time.

However, Coughlin bristled at the idea that the season is just about over because the playoffs chances are dim.

“It’s not going to be over until the five games are over,” said Coughlin, who got his team to win four straight after losing its first six. “The one thing that all of you would like to try to figure into this is you don’t have anything to play for. We’ve got a lot to play for. We have a five-game schedule. We’re playing against some outstanding football teams. We’re trying to assert ourselves.

“We’re not executing as well as we can and in all three phases at the same time, for sure,” he added. “I’m looking for that. I’m always searching for perfection, the perfect game. We can’t get it, perhaps, because we’re human, but that’s the objective and that’s the goal and that’s what we’ll continue to fight for. It is the competitive nature of the player, of the coach, and that’s where we are.”

Coughlin wants the Giants to correct their mistakes, starting with the 11 penalties they had against Dallas. He also wants to score touchdowns in the “green zone.” New York is 2 of 6 from the 20-yard line in during the past two games.

Turnovers and stepping up in crunch time are other issues. The Cowboys scored their first touchdown on a fumble by Victor Cruz, and Tony Romo converted three third-down plays on the winning drive after going 1 for 8 before that.

Cornerback Terrell Thomas said it would be up to the veterans to keep the younger guys going and focused on this weekend’s game at Washington. He said the Giants played well Sunday, but were beaten by a good team.

“There isn’t any quit,” he said. “We were 0-6. We could have done that. We gave ourselves every shot to get back into this race. We came up a little short versus Dallas, but it ain’t over. It’s a long season and you never know what can happen. We’re going to hang our hat on that.”

Defensive co-captain Antrel Rolle says the team knows there is still work to be done. It won’t slack off.

“That’s not who we are, that’s not what we do,” Rolle said. “We’re all professionals and, more importantly, we’re Giants. We have a certain standard to uphold here and we’re going to do that.”

NOTES: Coughlin has no further update on the abdominal injury that prevented WR Hakeem Nicks from playing. He said it would have slowed him down. ... C Jim Cordle has a partially torn patella tendon and his status is uncertain.